MAKE IT GO AWAY: E. Hampton council wants to rid itself of O'Keefe complaint

JEFF MILL, Press Staff

Published
12:00 am EDT, Wednesday, October 13, 2010

EAST HAMPTON - With lawsuits and legal claims against the town backed up like planes at O'Hare Airport on a on a Friday afternoon in August, Town Council members pressed Tuesday for an end to an investigation of a hostile workplace complaint.

But the issue immediately became embroiled in the continuing fallout from the removal of the town's police chief and harassment complaints against the manager.

The workplace complaint was brought against then-Town Manager Jeffrey J. O'Keefe in July by Police Sgt Garritt A. Kelly.

Kelly complained about O'Keefe's comments during a mandatory "all-hands meeting" of the police department personnel with the manager following the abrupt dismissal of Police Chief Matthew A. Reimondo on June 22.

During the meeting, which was held at a lakefront restaurant, Kelly complained O'Keefe made disparaging remarks about him, and suggested Kelly had lost his "best friend" when Reimondo was removed from his position.

Kelly said O'Keefe's comments were inappropriate and unprofessional, and fostered a hostile work environment.

Without commenting on the validity of the complaint, Council Chairwoman Melissa H. Engel said she hoped a way could be found to bring the investigation to an end.

"I'm not sure if we should proceed, if he's no longer here," Councilor Thomas M. Cordeiro said, agreeing with Engel.

Embroiled in a firestorm of controversy caused by Reimondo's removal and allegations of sexual harassment involving three town employees, O'Keefe resigned on Sept. 17.

Engel said the attorney who is investigating the claim, Glenn Coe, is charging the town $315 an hour for his work.

(Acting Town Manager Robert G. Drewry said he has not yet received a bill from Coe, so he is not sure how much the investigation has cost to date.)

If the matter cannot be dropped, Engel asked if, "We can see what he has to now?"

However, councilor Susan B. Weintraub worried that not taking the investigation to a conclusion could place the town in jeopardy.

Reminding her colleague that O'Keefe had already been accused of sexual harassment by the three employees, Weintraub added the council had chosen not to place him on administrative leave.

"Did we, by not placing him on administrative leave, allow other actions to occur?" she asked.

Engel asked Drewry if Kelly could be persuaded to drop his complaint.

Drewry said he had not asked Kelly about that, and if he did, "I'm not sure what his response would be."

But, Drewry said, he has scheduled an executive session on the 28th to review the myriad of complaints, lawsuits, and legal actions against the town.

He and Engel agreed they would ask Town Attorney Jean D'Aquila to ask Coe the status of his investigation. D'Aquila could then report to the council about its status during the executive session, they said.

During the public comment near the meeting's end, Kyle Dostaler, the chairman of the Chatham Party, pleaded with the council to complete the investigation.

"Don't do to (Kelly) what happened to those three women" who brought the harassment complaints, he said.

The lawyer conducting the investigation into the harassment complaints cleared O'Keefe even though he did not interview the three women. Their lawyer had said the investigation was biased in O'Keefe's favor.

"There is still a complaint against the town, so please conclude this investigation properly," Dostaler said.